CONFESSIONS OF A SHOPAHOLIC (Zellycherry’s version)

I was up by 7am in the morning. Had to get some errands done that day. And all along I was thinking how I’ll be back home by lunch time! I mean who goes to town after staying in-doors for two days and comes back at lunch time?! Or before dark for that matter. That was going to be a day half wasted. I didn’t have anything to do back at home that afternoon anyway. I hadn’t made any plans with any of my friends that day either. I knew there must be at least one of my girlfriends I could just call and she would be available for lunch; but knowing my girlfriends and I, ‘lunch’ with them always made me get home late. Way past sunset. I still hadn’t decided on what else I would do for the day when I finished taking my hot shower. It was when I opened my closet to look for what to wear that I knew exactly what else I could do for the day. And have fun while doing it!!

Ever stared at your albeit full wardrobe and felt like you have nothing to wear?? Like you wanted something different on your body… So yes, I was going shopping!! I needed to get some few new dress-tops and maybe a pair of shoes. In my head, I calculated how many of each I would buy and how much I would end up using! I then got dressed, had my breakfast and off I was gone.

Getting to town, alighting at ambassador, I had to walk towards Bus station to get a matatu that would get me to Mombasa road. Halfway there, just before Cianda market (BTW I was told what that word meant in the Luo community!! Of all the names to give a ‘market’. Smh), some two hawkers with cardboard stand caught my eyes. Or rather the items they were selling on the ‘stand’, and the amount they were shouting! Moving closer, I could point out some wallets, colourful skipping ropes, and small diaries with a pen attached to them. And guess how much each was going for? 100 freaking Kshs!! My little cousin’s birthday is coming up soon and I hadn’t known what to buy her, so I bought the skipping rope. The note book I carry around in my purse was almost full so I also bought the palm-sized diaries with a pen attached to it. Plus it looked too cute! In addition, I bought a wallet too. You see ever since I started carrying around smaller handbags (I loooove sling bags!), I couldn’t use my big and thick- but pretty and efficient- wallet. That ‘pretty beast’ could only fit in the humongous handbags I used to carry. So in the meantime, I have been using a small lovely pouch (which was recently my phone pouch/carrier). What?! I use my phone a lot!! I didn’t see the use for it anymore…well not for my phone that is. I mean did you expect me to throw it away?? Plus it had that front zipped section for the coins! Ok, I’m pretty good at improvising. I guess being a Scout in primary school and high school taught me well… Anyway, I digress. Point is, the wallets on mega sale, were the perfect size and a perfect replacement for my ‘colourful pouch’. It was starting to get a bit embarrassing removing money from it in public.

I then passed a jewellery shop and saw these pretty earrings, so I walked in. To just take a look. No for real, I hadn’t planned to buy anything. I admired a few, and noted their prizes, thinking maybe next time I will pass by. I only tried on one pair! And it was while was staring at the reflection of my ears on the mirror that I remembered something. I forgot to wear my earrings!! Suddenly my outfit felt plain, and my ears naked. I was forced to buy a pair. But they were so pretty, and matched flawlessly with my outfit. I had no regrets at all. A quick look at my watch, informed me that I would probably get to where I was going at around lunch time, and the people there would have gone out for lunch; so I decided to finish up with my shopping before heading to Mombasa road.

Standing at my favorite dress shop somewhere around town, frustration was starting to slowly kick in. I wasn’t seeing anything I liked! It had been 30 minutes, I only had one dress-top in hand. Well all that changed when the lady I know there finally showed up. After our friendly greetings, she went and five minutes later came back with 5 dress-tops! Let’s just say she knows how I roll. Ok, she usually knows what I’m looking for -_-
Now I had to choose which ones among the five I would carry back home with me. In the end I managed to drop two. Having four dresses in total, I needed to return one; cause I had planned to buy just three dress-tops and a pair of shoes. I was sure of two, so I had to choose one from the other two. Sigh. It was a hard decision. I even asked for ‘help’ from two of the other girls who were shopping at that stall. One chose the black and pink striped one, and the other chose the white one! Obviously that didn’t help, but neither did the decision-making part of my brain, cause I loved both! Actually I loved the black and pink one a tiny winy itsy bitsy bit more, but I didn’t have a pretty white short dress in my wardrobe. And it’s kinda essential to. That and the LBD…
What to choose, what to choose…oh what the hell.. I bought both!! So yeah, I walked out of that place with four pretty dress-tops, beaming like I had just won a Grammy. I have to confess, shopping does that to me. And pizza. And ice-cream. And a nice movie. And a good… I digress again.

I found the perfect black wedges for my feet and boy did I get them at quite a cheap price. As per my earlier budget of course. I also have my guy for shoes…who made me book a day to come pick up some other striking heels I saw, and tried on. He was quite convincing. I had to force my way out of that shop. With my eyes closed. There were too many shoes, everywhere. It was like a kid in a candy shop! Or a prostitute in a sex toys shop! I don’t know why I used the second simile. I guess I wanted to sound a lot more mature… I hope it worked. ^_^

With all those items in hand, (well technically they were in a paper bag but you get me!) I headed straight to the bus station and got into a matatu. After having stopped myself from buying some other white gorgeous coat! I mean suddenly everything was cheaper that day!! Oh well, 3 errands later, I was done for the day. It was 3 PM. I had nothing else to do, so time to go home. But I was hungry. And I left le familia discussing about having ugali for lunch back at home, so I bought myself some fries and a sausage. To my defense, the ugali would have been cold when I got home. And what if the microwave got spoilt when I left that morning? Huh? Huh?

Of course I’m not a shopaholic! I’m a social shopper! I mean where else would I have gotten the extra items I bought with that prize?! Plus you gotta admit. I looked pretty awesome in those earrings. And the dress-tops? Three words. Off the hook!
Shucks! I’m a shopaholic. Oh well, nobody was hurt. Yeah I ended up spending more than I had planned to, but you would have too if you were me! Or not. It doesn’t matter cause I have no regrets at all!! 😛